Holding device



March p 1950 w. CARTER ETAL.

HOLDING DEVICE Filed Feb. e, 1,946

AT T 0R NE YS Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE HOLDING DEVICE William Carter and William T. Clarke, New Bedford, Mass.

Application February 6, 1946, Serial No. 645,871

8 Claims.

is relatively heavy, for example 11A; pounds, and A contains Very substantial yardage, depending upon the size or denier of the ber. For example, in the case of 300 denier the cake will include approximately 22,000 yards, and for 75 denier as much as 88,000 yards. In the further treatment of the liber it is commonly rewound upon a suitable device such as a cone or bobbin. and

during this rewinding the cake should be handled'v with care to avoid breakage of the ber and resultant loss. The cake itself is quite soft, and since it is formed with a hollow core, it will collapse on itself unless it is properly supported, andthe fiber breaks quite easily and also tends to tangle and snarl quite readily and is difficult to untangle without breaking, these diiliculties increasing as the` cake is unwound and becomes thinner and looser. The present invention is concerned with the provision of means for supporting the cake and ber dur-ing the rewinding oper-ation.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a device for holding a cake of rayon or like fiber during rewinding which will be relatively simple both to manufacture and to use,

and which in use will substantially eliminate loss of liber resulting from breakage or tangling during rewinding.

A further object is to provide a device for the above purpose adopted for insertion in the core of a cake of rayon or like liber to hold the same during rewinding and which will exert substantially constant and uniform pressure radially out- Ward against the inner wall of the cake and so hold and support the cake as the ber is unwound therefrom.

Another object is to provide a device for the above purpose which includes an elongated inflatable and deformable member which can be inserted in the core of a cake of rayon or like ber and then inflated with a pressure iluid to ll out and support the cake as the fiber is unwound therefrom.

It is also an objectv to provide a device for the above purpose which includes means for holding the generally tubular stocking member which is commonly inserted in the core of a cake of rayon or like ber after spinning and for prevening the ber from catching or snagging on this stockingduring rewinding.

A further object is to provide a device for the above purpose which will operate effectively throughout the rewinding operation and including the end of the operation when only a few strands of fiber remain 'on the cake.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the lappended claims.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating the use of a device embodying the invention to hold ya cake of rayon or other fiber during rewinding of said fiber;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating in more detail certain of the elements shown assembled in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, illustrating an intermediate stage in setting up for use the holder device and cake shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the holder device shown in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 5 5 1in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a View in vertical section of a modilied form of the cap member shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, the element designated generally by the reference character I0 represents a cake of the type described above and is shown as composed of liber or yarn I I of rayon or similar material. This ber` is newly formed, the cake being shown as having a hollow core indicated at I2 and also as provided with a protective cover I3 or stocking This stocking commonly is in the form of a tube-like length of fabric, usually of stockinette weave to give elasticity, which is drawn through the core I2 of the cake promptly after the latter is formed and then folded back at both ends on the outside of the cake with the ends I3a and I3b overlapping each other as shown particularly in Fig. 2.

`A base member I4, shown as comprising an annular plate of wood, should be of sufficient size to provide an adequate supporting surface for cake I0, satisfactory results having been obtained using a base member of a diameter slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the cake,

An inflatable member I is secured at one end to base member I4 and is adapted for insertion in hollow core I2 of cake IU. This member I5 is so constructed and shaped that when it is so inserted within the core of the cake and inflated with a suitable uid, such as compressed air, it will expand in such manner so to conform yieldably to the inner configuration of the cake and exert a gentle but substantially uniform radial pressure outwardly against the cake and throughout the entire axial length thereof. The material of which member I5 is composed should be suiciently strong so that when inflated to this desired amount, the member I5 will be self-sup,- porting to a degree suflicient to provide adequate support also for cake IU throughout unwinding of the ber therefrom. For example, satisfactory results have been obtained with conventional rayon cakes using a member I5 of the size and shape of a standard bladder for a rugby football and made of a corresponding grade of relatively heavy rubber.

Fig. 5 illustrates in detail means for securing inflatable member I5 to base member I4. As shown, the lower end of member I5 is partially doubled back on the remainder of the member at I5 and inserted in a central aperture in base member I4. A circular plug I'I of wood or other suitable material is similarly inserted in this aperture and is of a diameter slightly less than that of the aperture so that the doubled portion I6 of member I5 may be clamped between its outer sides and the sides of the aperture. This joint may if desired be further secured by suitable adhesive material, and it will also be noted that the upper surface I8 of plug I'I is preferably rounded off to avoid presenting sharp corners to inflatable member I5. If the diameter of the central aperture in member I4 is equal to or slightly greater than the inner diameter of cake ID, member I5 when inflated will readily assume the desired size and shape conforming to the inner configuration of the cake as described.

A bottom plate I9 of plastic, wood, Masonite or the like may be secured as by screws 20 to the bottom of member I4 and provides a more finished appearance. A valve stem 2| containing suitable valve means, such as are conventionally utilized with the ordinary in-nertubes and the like, is suitably secured to member I5 and provides for ination and deflation thereof. Valve stem 2! is shown as extending out through a suitable aperture in members I4, I'I and I9 and held by a suitable locking nut 22. The bottom of the base member also has secured thereto as by means of screws 23 a plurality of substantially radially arranged spring fingers 24, each of which carries on its outer end a generally rounded member 25 of wood, plastic or the like. These members serve to hold the lower end I3a of stocking I 3 when the device is in use, as will be described.

In using this device, inflatable member I5 is first inserted in hollow core I2 of cake I0, preferably while deflated to permit ready insertion without disarranging the fiber in the cake. The stocking I3 also aids in protecting the ber along the inner wall of the cake against disarrangement as the inflatable member is inserted into place. Fig. 2 shows these parts just prior to the insertion step, the member I5 when inserted projecting loosely into the. center of the cake. Member I5 is then inflated by means of an air pump or other suitable source of pressure fluid. As described, member I5 should be sufficiently inflated to expand it to flll the hollow core of cake IIJ and exert the desired pressure radially outward on the cake, the degree of inflation, however, being controlled to avoid exerting tension on the ber such as might cause undesirable stresses or breakage. This stage in the assembly and use of the device is shown in Fig. 3, and it will be noted that the portion of member I5 within the cake has assumed a substantially cylindrical shape and is in contact with the inner surface of cake I0 along substantially the entire axial length thereof.

After member I5 has been inated as described,

lower end I3a of stocking I3 may be drawn down from around the cake and held out of the way by means of the catch members provided by spring lingers 24 and their rounded heads 25, as indicated in Fig. 1. The upper end 3Ib of the stocking may then be similarly drawn up from around the cake, and a cap member is provided for holding this end of the stocking out of the way.

The cap member shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a hollow portion 30 of plastic or other suitable material having the general shape of the frustum of a cone, and an annular flange or rim portion 3| integral with or otherwise secured to the base of the cap. The dimensions of this cap are preferably such that it is adapted to enclose and seat on the upper end of inflatable member I5, by means of which it is supported out of contact with the upper end of cake I0 to avoid exerting pressure axially thereon. This construction provides that the cap can be set in position after the upper end 13b of stocking I3 is drawn up olf the cake and will thus hold the stocking out of the way and so prevent the ber from catching thereon during unwinding. If the internal dimensions of the cap member are slightly less than the corresponding dimension of member I5 when inflated, the weight of the cap will slightly compress the upper end of member I5 and so help to maintain the desired expanding pressure in the position of member I5 within the cake. In the normal use of the device, the cake is usually positioned vertically and ber II drawn off substantially vertically therefrom, as indicated in Fig. l. If, therefore, rim portion 3I of the cap has a diameter at least equal to the maximum diameter of the cake before unwinding, it will provide a guide for ber II during unwinding which both helps to draw the ber radially from the cake to prevent tangling and also' maintains a constant course for the fiber to the member on which it is being rewound. The outer edge 32 of rim portion 3I may be rounded or beaded to facilitate this action.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of cap member in which the upper portion 35 is generally cup shaped and'clo'se'd at its upper end and is secured by means of a suitable hinge 36 to the annular rim portion 31. With this form of cap member, the inner diameter of rim portion 31 should be sufciently less than the diameter of member I5 when inflated to provide that the cap member will be maintained spaced above the cake when placed in proper position on the upper end of the inated member I5, as described. With this construction, the upper end of the stocking can be pulled through the inner diameter of rim member 3'I and the cap properly seated on the inflated member I5.with upper portion 35 swung back out of the way. Thereafter the upper cap portion 35 can be closed down against the rimV atoom@ portion, thus completely enclosing the' upper end of the stocking.

Fig. 1 illustrates the above device completely assembled as described for the rewinding of cake IIJ, and it will be understood that as so assembled the device is readily adapted for use with or mounting on any machine wherewith cakes of the above type are used, such as a cone Winder or the like. As so assembled and used, the device has been found to operate with a high degree of efficiency. With the inflated member I5 constructed as described, it supports the cake effectively throughout the entire rewinding operation. Since the outer diameter of the cake decreases as the ber unwinds, the ability of the cake to support itself correspondingly decreases, which would ordinarily increase the tendency of the fiber to loosen and hence to tangle or strip off the cake in loops. The device of the invention prevents this result since as the cake becomes thinner, its restraining force on the inflated member is decreased, and the latter can expand sufficiently to tighten the fiber remaining in the cake against slipping and tangling. At the same time, however, since the walls of member l5 are deformable in all directions, any excess pressure can be relieved by expansion at areas from which the ber has been unwound, thus preventing tension on the remaining which could otherwise cause undesirable stress or breakage. These features in the use of the inflatable member materially reduce the chance of tangling, and the above provision of means for retaining the stocking out of the path of the fiber is also helpful in preventing catching of the ber thereon, which with other holding devices is a frequent cause of breakage. In practice it has been found that with this device tangling occurs so rarely that the over-all loss of fiber from breakage during rewinding averages not more than a small fraction of one percent of the total fiber in the cake and is frequently wholly eliminated.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing/from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for holding an annular cake of fiber during rewinding, said cake having a substantially tubular stocking member inserted in the core thereof, said device comprising, in combination, an annular base member, an elongated inflatable member secured at its lower end to said base member and adapted for insertion in the core of said cake, means carried by Said base member for holding the lower end of said stocking member, a cap adapted for mounting on the upper end of said inflatable member and coop erating therewith to hold the upper end of said stocking, and means providing for inflation and deiiation of said inatable member and including valve-controlled tube means communicating with the interior of said inatable member and projecting through said base member.

2. A device for holding an annular cake of ber during rewinding, said cake having a substantially tubular stocking member inserted in the core thereof, said device comprising, in combination, an annular base member, an elongated inatable member secured at its lower end to said base member and adapted for insertion in the core of said cake, means comprising a plurality of resilient catch members substaritially radially:-

arranged on the lower surface of said base member for holding the lower end of said stockingmember, and means providing for controlled ine. ation of said inatable member.

3. A device for holding an annular cake of fiber during rewinding, said cake having a sub-1 stantially tubular stocking member inserted in the core thereof, said device comprising, in combination, a base member, an elongated iniiatableA member secured at one end to said base member and adapted for insertion in the core of said cake, means providing for controlled ination of said inatable member, and a cap member` adapted for removable engagement with the end of said inflatable member opposite said base member providing a guide for ber unwinding from said cake and cooperating with said inflatable member to hold the upper end of said stocking out of the way of said unwinding fiber.

core thereof, said device comprising, in combination, a base member, an elongated iniiatable' member secured at its lower end to said base member and adapted for insertion in the core of said cake, a cap member adapted for removableengagement with the upper end of said inflatable member and cooperating therewith to hold the upper end of said stocking out of the way of fiber being unwound from said cake, said cap member including an annular rim portion not substantially less in diameter than the maximum diameter of said cake, providing a guide for fiber being unwound from said cake, and means providing for ination and deflation of said iniatable member and including valve-controlled tube means communicating with the interior of said inatable member and projecting through said base member.

5. A device for holding an annular cake of ber during rewinding, said cake having a substantially tubular stocking member inserted in the core thereof, said device comprising, in combination, an annular base member, an elongated inflatable member secured at its lower end to said base member and adapted for insertion in the core of said cake, a plurality of resilient catch members substantially radially arranged on the lower surface of said base member for holding the lower end of said stocking member, a cap member adapted for removably enclosing the upper end of said inatable member and holding the upper end of said stocking member, said cap member including an annular rim portion at least equal in diameter to the maximum diameter of said cake, said rim providing a guide for ber being unwound from said cake, and means providing for inflation and deflation of said inilatable member and including valve-controlled tube means communicating with the interior of said inflatable member and projecting through said base member.

6. The combination comprising an annular cake of fiber to be unwound, said cake having a substantially tubular stocking member inserted in the core thereof, and a holder for said cake comprising a base member, an inflatable member secured at its lower end to said base member, said cake being supported on said base member and said inflatable member being inserted in the core of said cake, said iniiatable member being iniiated with pressure fluid and exerting pressure radially outward on said cake from the '7 core lthereof, ineans for holding the upper fend of said'stocking member 'out of the way -of fiber unwinding from saidcake, and means carried by said base member for holding the lower -end rof said stocking member.

7, The combination comprising an annular cake of liber to be unwound, said cake having a. substantially tubular stocking vmember inserted in the core thereof, and a holder for said cake comprising `a base member, an inflatable member secured at its lower vend to said ba-se member, said cake being supported on said base member `and said yinflatable member being inserted in the vcore of ysaid cake, said inflatable member having ya valve Icontrolled orice providing for inflation and deflation thereof, said inatable member being inated with pressure luid and exerting `pressure radially outward on said cake from the cor-e thereof, a plurality of resilient catch members substantially radially arranged on the lower surface of said base member for holding Vthe lower end of said stocking member, and a cap member enclosing the upper end of said inflatable member and holding the upper end of said Vstocking member, said cap member including an annular rim portion at least substantially equal in diameter to the -maximum diameter of said cake, said rim lproviding a guide for lber being unwound from said calze, and means providing for inflation and deflation of said inatable member and including valve-controlled tube means communicating with the interior of said 8 inflatable member land projecting through 'said base member.

'8.1m combinationwith an annular cake of ber of rayon 'orthe like,:a holding and supporting device comprising a base adapted to receive the cake thereon, a stocking extending through the hollow core of said cake in protective relation thereto, `a member supported on 'said lbase rand extending within isaid hollow core and stocking, said ymember having yielding 'and deformable walls expanded by internal fluid pressure into uniform gentle rcontact with ythe inner wall of said cake to reta-in 4said cake rmly upon :said base as lthe fiber is unwound therefrom, means cooperating with the upper end of said member to holdthe yupperiend-of said stocking out Aof the way of liber unwinding from Ysaid cake, and means carried by said base for holding the lower end iof said stocking.

WILLIAM CARTER. WILLIAM T. CLARKE.

REFERENCES CITED The ffollowing references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,790,063 Madlung Jan. 27, 1931 .2,141,610 Little et al Dec. 27, 1938 2,245;937 Parker June 17, 1941 2,370,746 Moritz etal. Mar. 6, 1945 

